Adicon, established in 2004, owns 20 lab facilities across China. The firm’s laboratories run diagnostic testing for more than 15,000 doctors and hospitals, as well as clinical trials for pharmaceutical firms, its website shows. The market for independent clinical laboratory services in China is set to keep growing at a rate of at least 30 percent in the next five years, according to an analysis by Research and Markets.

The process is at an early stage, and there’s no certainty the interested parties will proceed to submit offers, the people said.